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I believe that it’s with a false sense of humility that many of us excuse our inactivity as Christians. We think that we’re being meek and humble, when what we’re actually doing is exhibiting is a staggering lack of faith. We think, “God would never use me to bring revival to my city,” for example, when that’s exactly what He would do if you would only cooperate and obey. The thing is that it’s not your personality, charisma, or strength. Spiritual victory depends solely upon God’s ability worked through an obedient vessel. God is giving you an opportunity to work alongside Him, like a mother baking cookies with a child or a father working on the car with a child. Does the mother need the child’s help to bake cookies? Does the father depend on the child’s help in fixing the car? No, but it’s an opportunity for closeness, and it also gives the child the chance to learn and feel empowered.

Here’s the thing: God is preparing us to reign with Him, “Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with Him, we will also live with Him;if we endure, we will also reign with him,” (2 Timothy 2:11-12, emphasis mine; see also Revelation 5:9-10). This life is our training ground for reigning with Him. But we won’t reign if we don’t endure. To endure, we’ve got to bear fruit (see John 15:1-2), and we’ve got to overcome (see 1 John 5:4). And that brings us back to faith.

Back to that passage in 2 Timothy, notice that some will be saved, but not reign. You might think, “Well, I don’t really want to reign, I’ll just be happy to be there.” Not me! I want to reign, but not to be a big shot. See, I want to sit with Jesus, right by His side. He will be in His glorified, resurrected body, and me in my resurrected body, and I want to get as much face time with Him as I can. But that’s not a privilege that will be handed out to everybody. Only those who endure, bear fruit, and overcome will be invited to sit with Him on His throne, right by His side. I am running this race to win the prize (1 Corinthians 9:24). Is there anything else that is worth living or dying for?